In a stark revelation shaking federal welfare oversight, two Mattapan convenience store owners face charges for allegedly trafficking nearly $7 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, swapping EBT cards for cash in operations run from spaces smaller than many apartments. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley confirmed the scheme at a December 17 press conference, declaring, “There is no plausible way SNAP-eligible food could have been purchased from these stores for this long.” The case spotlights vulnerabilities in the program’s monitoring of small retailers.
No longer a conspiracy theoryUS Attorney confirms shops are being setup with the sole purpose of exchanging SNAP benefits for cashMultiple fake stores, one as small as 150 square feet cashing out as much as $480,000 in EBT per month$7 million in food stamps turned into cash… pic.twitter.com/vQpKCTM45A
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) December 18, 2025
Antonio Bonheur, 74, owner of Jesula Variety Mart at 914 Morton St., and Saul Alisme, 21, of Saul Mache Mixe Market at 914A Morton St., were arrested that morning on one count each of SNAP fraud. Prosecutors allege the stores, spanning less than 150 square feet each with single registers and no shopping carts, processed up to $480,000 monthly in benefits—far exceeding legitimate peers. WCVB reported officials highlighting the improbability of such volumes from closet-sized outlets.
Over 20 months, Jesula Variety redeemed three to six times the $80,000 monthly average of a nearby legitimate supermarket, per WBUR News. The duo, both Haitian immigrants, allegedly built a criminal enterprise exchanging benefits for cash at steep discounts, diverting funds meant for groceries to illicit gains…